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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. cue — a hint
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bank — for money
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — child
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. spring — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — the season
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kid — to tease
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com